Ocean



When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you. Isaiah 43:2a
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. Psalm 8:1


Last week I was blessed to have a five day vacation at the beach with my husband, my daughter and granddaughters. I love the beach! If you are now picturing me jumping into the surf, choosing the biggest, highest wave, stop right there and let me tell you, I. Can't. Swim.

That's right, I can't swim and beyond that, I have an outsized fear of the water. Still, I love the ocean and the pool in my backyard. Love them!

Over the last year I've been blessed to be at the beach several times. Each experience has been different. Last September I was at the beach with my husband and pretty much o one else. In the early mornings we would head to the beach and while my hubby did his metal detecting I would walk the beach, stopping every now and then to just listen to God. It was amazing! I had read where Dan Rather asked Mother Teresa what she said in prayer. Her response, “I listen.” He then asked what God said to her. She responded, “He listens.” On that quiet and lovely beach in September I experienced the truth of that. I listened and He listened.

Last week was entirely different. There were many, many people at the beach and of course, little ones right there with me. There was no time to just listen. Instead this time I saw.

I saw the gentle lapping of the water at the very edge. I saw huge waves building to higher heights and growing in power. I saw the strength of the sea, to propel my girls toward me on their boards but also to over power them and my husband. Standing there, watching the tide ebb and flow, feeling the current pulling at my feet I sensed the incredible power of God.

We are taught to fear God and many people balk at that suggestion. We need to fear God. Not in the way that I fear the water, a fear that suggests a desire to harm. No, we are to have a reverent fear of God and I believe that the ocean can give us a snapshot of that. God is loving, nurturing, merciful but He is also able to defeat and destroy. If He weren't then the enemy would win and we know that isn't the case.

The ocean is teeming with fish, sea creatures and power that I don't pretend to understand. God is all powerful. He created that ocean, the fish therein and He controls the tides and the waves. Watching those waves I was so grateful to belong to the Power behind them. So very thankful that He is for me and not against me.

I don't imagine for a minute that I have a total understanding of God, how He works, why He does what He does and allows what He allows. I don't know why I receive so many blessings, so much mercy and favor. I do know this. God's power is there for me. It's there for you. We only need to recognize, reach out for it and put ourselves into His might outstretched hand. Then the waves of life can build and crash against our shores and while we might get a little wet, we might even be drenched a time or two, we will remain safe in that mighty hand.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Applause, Applause and Protection

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, Hebrews 12:1 Reading some Scripture this morning I was reminded of a message that I watched from Louie Giglio. In it Louie described a child of God leaving her home for the day. He goes on about how the heavenly beings see it. With great excitement, he tells of the joy and applause going on in heaven as the woman gets in the elevator, gets to the parking lot and gets in her car. It’s hilarious and over the top, (remember I did say it was Louie Giglio!) but there’s a great lesson in it. My husband and I were watching a TV show about a fictional former president. At one point the poor man is just over the Secret Service detail. He’s tired of them following him around so he fires them. It takes less than five minutes for him to start to see all that they’ve been doing for...
Read more

My Father Saw That

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me, “for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” Genesis 16:13 There’s a movie from several years ago that I absolutely love! It’s called “The American President.” The premise is that the president, who is a widower, has begun to date. He’s dating a lovely woman while running for reelection. His opponent is awful. He knows he doesn’t have much of a chance against the popular incumbent so he tries to make a mountain out of the molehill of the standing president’s romance. At one point there is a news clip that shows the woman in a protest during her college days. After the clip plays the opponent refers to the president’s lady friend as “the president’s whore.” She groans and says to the president “My father saw that!” She is devastated, not because what is being said is true but because her father, who she loves and respects, saw the clip and heard those words spoken about her. I thought of ...
Read more

Not Really god, where are you?

Then they called on the name of Baal from morning to noon.”Baal answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said, “Surely he is a god! Perhaps his is deep in thought, or busy or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 1 Kings 18:26b-27 Those who know me would be quick to tell you that I am a bit sarcastic. It’s a quality that I have passed on to my children and even some of my grandchildren. Some days I feel a little guilty. Is that really a quality that God wants to see in me? Certainly that cannot be my go to attitude but there are times that it comes in quite nicely. This morning, reading a totally unrelated verse, I was reminded of this account in the first book of Kings. (It begins at verse 16 and continues to the end of the chapter. I highly recommend reading it if you haven’t and it if you have reread it. It’s great!) In this p...
Read more